1. General rules
nominative genitive
singular plural singular plural
an Gille Mòr the big boy na Gillean Mòra a’ Ghille Mhòir nan Gillean Mòra
am Meall Dearg the red hill na Mill Dearga a’ Mhill Dheirg nam Meall Dearga
an t-Each Beag the wee horse na h-Eich Bheaga an Eich Bhig nan Each Beaga
nominative genitive
singular plural singular plural
a’ Chreag Ghlas the grey rock na Creagan Glasa na Creige Ghlais nan Creagan Glasa
a’ Chaileag Bhàn the fair girl na Caileagan Bàna na Caileige Bàine nan Caileagan Bàna
a’ Chlach Dhubh the black stone na Clachan Dubha na Cloiche Duibhe nan Clach Dubha
2. Selected
irregular nouns
nominative genitive
singular singular plural
(some of these uncertain!)
an abhainn the river na h-aibhne nan Abhainn
a’ bheinn the mountain na beinne nam Beann
a’ bhean the wife na Mna nam Ban
a’ bhò the cow na Bà nam Bò
an cù the dog a’ Choin nan Con
a’ chaora the sheep na Caorach nan Caora
an druim the back or ridge an Droma nan Druim
an fhiacail the tooth na Fiacla nam Fiacail
an gobha the smith a’ Ghobhann nan Gobha
an gobhar the goat a’ Ghoibhre nan Gobhar
a’ mhuir the sea na Mara nam Muir
3. Rules for
converting genitive to nominative
Commonly this is done by removing the ‘i’, e.g. bàird - bàrd, bàin - bàn, or removing the ‘i’ and final ‘e’, e.g. glaice - glac, caime - cam, but there are other methods!
from to examples (genitive - nominative; adjectives in italic type)
- - baile - baile, coille - coille, teine - teine
town/village, wood, fire
-air -air sealgair, pìobair, ciobair, iasgair
hunter, piper, keeper, fisherman/osprey
-ar -air athar- athair, mathar, mathair, seanar - seanair, seanmhar - seanmhair
father, mother, grandfather, grandmother
-lach -ail analach - anail, baralach - barail
breath, opinion
-rach -air acrach - acair, cathrach - cathair, luachrach - luachair, machrach - machair,
nathrach - nathair
anchor, chair, rushes, machair, snake
-a - bùtha - bùth, fiona - fion, locha - loch, lucha - luch, pìoba - pìob, strùtha - strùtha
shop, wine, loch, mouse, pipe, stream
e - ìme - ìm, tìre - tìr
butter, land
ea iu peathar - piuthair
sister
ei ea caileig - caileag, creige - creag, deirg - dearg, eich - each
girl, rock, red, horse
èi eu gèig - geug
branch
èi ia clèibh - cliabh, grèine - grian, èisg - iasg, fèidh - fiadh, lèith - liath,
slèibhe - sliabh
creel, sun, fish, deer, light grey/blue, moor/hill
eòi eu beòil - beul, deòir - deur, eòin - eun, feòir - feur
mouth, tear, bird, grass
i ea bige - beag, bric - breac, cinn - ceann, coilich - coileach, circe - cearc, fir - fear, gil - geal, lice - leac, pris - preas
wee, trout/speckled, head, cockerel, hen, man, white, slab, bush
i oi finn - fionn
white
ì ìo sìl - sìol
seed/grain
iùi eò ciùil - ceòl, siùil - seòl
music, sail
oi a cloiche - clach, cois - cas
stone, foot
ui a uillt - allt
burn
ui o cnuic - cnoc, cruidh - crodh, duinn - donn, guib - gob, guirm - gorm, luing - long,
puirt - port, tuill - toll, tuim - tom, uidhir - odhar
hill,
cattle, brown, beak, green/blue, ship,
harbour, hollow, hill, dun
ùi à cùirn - càrn (also càirn - càrn)
cairn
ùi ò bùird - bòrd, ùird - òrd
table, hammer/hill
© Nevis
Hulme, 2007
This document
may be printed for personal study so long as it is not redistributed or used
for profit.
Nevis Hulme, 6 Allt Grìsean, Geàrrloch,